Chronicles
by FireflySong
Summary: Although the story may have run its conclusion, it never truly ended. For each end is a new beginning and new tales are ready to be told. These tales are the ones lost, the ones forgotten, and the ones that simply became unknown. Canon pairings, various characters and genres, Avatar not included.
1. Arranged

**So after a few years hiatus, I decided to start writing again. Why here in this fandom where no one will find it, I don't know but here I am anyways. This was actually a series of disconnected oneshots I've had in mind for a while actually, while some might be connected not all are, and the ones that are might be a little out of order. **

**I've also started writing using songs from the game for inspiration and to give me a feel for the area. This one in particular was written using 'Castle Town of Balandor'. So anyways, enjoy!**

**Love, FireflySong**

**P.S. No promises when the next one will be up, might be tomorrow, might be tonight, might be next week or even next month.**

_**Arranged**_

When Martine had gone up to see Queen Cisna in her office with his idea for peace between the Kingdom of Balandor and the Arch-duchy of Faria, she was sure that the last thing he had expected her to do was laugh. And this wasn't even a small chuckle of amusement, no, this was his regal queen clutching her sides in absolute mirth and signs of tears threatening to fall as she struggled to stay on her seat behind the gilded oak desk.

Martine would have been worried about his queen's sanity if he wasn't so insulted.

"I'm completely serious your majesty! I believe that an arranged marriage between royal families is what we need to cement ongoing peace!"

"You do realize that both I and the Empress are not only the only living members of either royal family, but both female as well?"

Cisna somehow managed to tone down her own amusement when she realized that Martine had gone shockingly red in the face and began to sputter indignantly.

"I would never suggest such a thing your majesty! I-I can't even believe that you would even think it! It seems that continued association with the Lord of Greede is having an effect on you that no one thought of."

Cisna sighed with growing amusement, "Lord Caesar is a fine, although most certainly outrageous, ruler. And besides, our relationship with Greede has never been better, I don't think our trade agreement has ever been more fruitful."

Martine seemed reluctant to agree but conceded. "Of course your majesty, I never thought otherwise."

"It is a shame about the Empress' family though," Martine muttered, "it would have certainly been a better match..."

With that, all amusement vanished Cisna's face, and despite sitting down, managed to stare coldly down at the council member, who blanched and shrunk once he realized exactly what he had said aloud.

"I-I apologize you majesty, Sir Leonard is a brave man and an amazing soldier but..."

"But he has no royal blood." Cisna finished. "Just because he is a commoner by birth and blood does not excuse the fact that without him, Balandor would have fallen to the Magi long ago."

_Does Caesar have to deal with this ridiculousness? Probably not, everyone's most likely used to his eccentricities by now._

Cisna watched with pity as the gangling man three times her age, quavered with fear in front of her. What little grey hair he had was now plastered to his head in sweat and she could see every bone poking through his parchment-like skin. She hated to watch a man that had once been like a distantly removed uncle cower like this.

The sad thing was that Cisna wasn't sure if it was fear of her as his Queen or because of the old and powerful powers that she had at her fingertips.

"Despite your slip of tongue, I do agree with your idea Martine."

At once Martine returned to full height and resumed the stature and countenance that befitted a distinguished member of the council. The midday sun that shone through the window behind her showed that his face was a bit too pale though. With shaking hands he handed over the bound papers that he had prepared for Cisna to read.

"I'm glad to hear that you agree with me your majesty." The relief in his voice was evident.

With well-practiced movements and grace that announced her royal upbringing, Cisna removed the binding from the paper and carefully looked over the contract placed before her. It was surprisingly short all things considered, only a page or two, and concise. It simply detailed that the first daughter of either royal family to be born would be betrothed to the eldest son of the other and would be married when the youngest turned sixteen. If, unfortunately, both families were only graced with one child each, then the contract would be suspended until the next generation.

Other difficulties would eventually emerge over time, there would be cousins to consider as well as lower ranked families on either kingdom, but those would be generations away yet and would be given far more time to plan out.

While the contract itself was only a couple of pages long, there were three copies as well but only two lines to sign. It didn't take long for Cisna to realize that they had made enough for not only Balandor and Faria, but for Greede as well should they wish to join. She highly doubted Greede would though, it proudly proclaimed itself as a free city and with it on the back of the Demithor, it would be safe from any attempts at war should the other two kingdoms try.

"I can see no immediate problem with the contract Martine, but I would like a few additions to be made."

Martine seemed shock that his work needed to be changed but smiled tightly. "And what changes would that be?"

"I would like an extra agreement to be added that for a single month of the year, any children born will spend that time in the opposite kingdom. It is a good chance for them to get to know the other's culture, people, and future in-laws. It would also hopefully be a further prevention against war."

Martine swallowed nervously as he rubbed his still shaking hands together. "Are you sure that will be wise you majesty? I mean, what it they use that time to gather intelligence about our army and the kingdom and use it against us..."

Cisna sighed as she folded her hands on her desk. "Well Martine, how would you feel to get a new monarch who knew absolutely nothing about us? What food we ate, how we dressed, how we interacted with our own people?"

Martine seemed shocked for a moment, and stopped to think. "Well, we could simply train them in our mannerisms when they got here. After the wedding we could introduce them to the kingdom..."

"You expect to be able to put nearly sixteen years of politcal training in them in a few short weeks and then thrust them out into a strange world?" Cisna paused to let Martine speak but when it was clear that he had no response continued. "Besides, would you attack the place where you were sending your child to spend one month of the year. By the point you had enough information to attack, they would have already made friends and would hate to see them killed."

Martine slowly nodded in agreement, but Cisna could tell that he was still uncomfortable with the idea. "I see, you are wise beyond your years your majesty. I will get one of the scribes to make the necessary additions as soon as possible."

"Good, I will send Empress Miu a copy of the contract when I send the invitation next week."

"Invitation? What invitation?"

Cisna looked at Martine confused. "Why to the ball in a couple of months of course. That's when I will be making my official announcement of my engagement to Leonard."

"You intend to invite Faria to the ball?!"

Cisna frowned at Martine, not understanding his shock. "But of course, Greede has also been invited."

Martine lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, his eyes wide. "But I'm sure you out of everyone remember exactly what happened last time we invited Faria!"

Immediately she stood and stared down at the older man in shock and fury. She hadn't realized she had smacked her desk with her hands until he flinched. "Which was no fault of their own Martine! Balandor wasn't the only one to lose a ruler that evening, nor was I the only one to lose a father. Miu is a honoured friend Martine, without her help and army when we made that final attack on Red Horn Island we would have surely lost!"

Understanding that he was fighting a losing battle, he switched tactics to save face. "I apologize your majesty, we are in their debt I agree, but to deliver a peace-binding contract like this and to invite Faria to a ball this important would require more than a simple messenger. We would need someone of political importance, who already knows Faria more than just war propaganda, and it would take at least a year to train a person to understand even the basics! It had taken your father months of negotiations with both the council and Faria until the late Emperor had finally agreed.

"I was also expecting to be able to make further adjustments to the contract to be better suited to a long term binding until we both had someone properly trained to deliver it and knowledgeable that they could answer any further questions there. There is no way we'd be able to send someone in a year, much less a week!"

Cisna sighed in unfortunate agreement as she turned her back to Martine and stared out the large window behind her to consider her options. Her father had chosen this room as his office not only because it overlooked the entire town, a reminder of his duties to his people, but the training grounds as well. From here he could see exactly what training the soldiers and knights under his care were receiving and how to best use them in battle against Faria. It was a duty she knew her father had hated with a passion, he had always seemed most tired when coming out of the office with Cyrus and other high-ranking members of the knights in tow.

It was a duty she also hated, sending her own people into a battle they might not even win had been the hardest thing she had ever done.

Now though, it was mostly used to keep the soldiers in shape, though almost all of them were on edge, the short year since the Battle of Red Horn Island had been the longest period of peace most could remember. Faria, and even Greede occasionally, had always been ready with the threat of war for years, this was the first time that all three cities had even had gotten along since all three had broken apart under the reign of King Fronler nearly 300 years ago.

In the training grounds below, she watched with a fond smile as Leonard stood facing off against Cyrus in what she hoped was a practice bout. Cyrus had been overly protective of her since his return and had made numerous claims that while he had no bad feelings toward her intended, he would need to fight Leonard himself to judge if he was strong enough to protect his beloved King's daughter. So far it seemed like an even match, Cyrus had years of training and experiance while Leonard had instinct from usgae of the White Knight, but not only was it hard to tell from her vantage point she had only the roughest ideas of sword fighting. It seemed to be a good fight if the circle of cheering soldiers were any indication.

Eldore stood with a small group young children, mostly boys but the occasional girl was mixed in, and seemed to be giving them the basics in magic usage. A small fireball began to form in his hands and the kids looked on it what could only be amazement. The older man seemed to be getting older and older with each day but somehow always managed to keep up with the various children, more of which came everyday, to see the incredible magic that most had only read or heard about. Cisna could almost hear their shrieks of glee as the small ball of fire exploded harmlessly over their heads.

And of course near the archery range stood Yulie, firing off arrow after arrow with deadly accuracy as Cisna's own soldiers watched, passing around what looked like a betting plate. Cisna frowned at that, while it was none of her business what they did with their own hard owned money, she certainly didn't approve of them wasting it on a gamble that they were going to lose, knowing with one hundred percent certainly that Yulie was gonna to win the plate.

Still Yulie had seemed almost awkward the past few weeks, it was obvious that she was uncomfortable in the castle with Leonard when she knew that he didn't return her feelings, but had no where else to go. She had tried returning back to Parma Village once but had returned only a couple of weeks later. Yulie had claimed that she had just missed her friends and wanted to be closer to everyone but it was obvious that she had been bored out of her mind. At some point during their travels the adventuring bug had bitten and not let go, she was always checking the guild board for new quests and bounties, not for the money or rewards, but for the chance to get out and do something.

To put it simply, Yulie needed to get out and travel but felt that it was her duty to stay and help in Balandor.

Cisna smiled as she turned back to Martine. "I think I've just found the answer to our problem Martine."


	2. Beginning

**Well this is up quicker than I expected, don't expect the others to be this quick. This one was particularly fun to write, I had yet to see anyone explore the creation of the Knights so I had fun playing with my own headcannons about the event. **

**For this one I listened to 'Chronicles of Darkness' from the WKC 2 OST playing on repeat for inspiration. I would like to think that the dark tone of the song helped to form an atmosphere, but this is up to you to decide. This one is also longer, about twice as long in fact, and completely different in tone from the first. Enjoy!**

**Love, FireflySong**

_**Beginning**_

Emperor Madoras didn't understand why people thought he was evil, truly he didn't. All he wanted to do was expand his empire and if that caused war to break out, than that was that. The evil ones had to be the stubborn Athwani for trying to stop his expansion in the first place. After all, they were the fools trying desperately, and pathetically at that, to stop progress. All he wanted was to introduce more people to the Yshrenian way of life and improve their technological capabilities so they wouldn't have to rely on that stupid mystic mumbo-jumbo of theirs anymore.

Yet no one could see that, as the people clamored and begged for the assistance of the Athwan Kingdom, for the mercy of the good Queen Murias, to stop his tyrannical advancement. And much to his hatred and disgust, both armies were currently locked in a stalemate, with neither side gaining nor giving any ground.

"Your majesty, it has been completed."

With a smile, Emperor Madoras, ruler of the expansive Yshrenian empire, arose from his throne to look down at the scientist kneeling before him, face pressed respectfully and fearfully to the stone floor of the audience chamber.

"Perfect. Take me to it at once."

Moments later, he stood facing the awesome sight of a towering suit of armour. The ten metre tall knight was burnished with gold long spikes of metal resembling golden flames emerging from the gargantuan pauldrons that each held a long indigo cloak. In the center of the chest was a large, dark circle. Its face was a simple engraving of two eyes and a mouth on white, making it seem more human that it actually was, underneath a towering gold helmet. Madoras didn't like the face, it looked too human and with what resembled tears running from its eyes, would make it automatically less terrifying on the battlefield. He wanted to inspire fear in the wretched Athwani, not laughter.

Madoras made a note to severely punish whoever designed such a ridiculous face on his war machine.

Still, the double sided sword looked frightening enough and the design of the knight itself was leagues above the previous prototypes, all of which had only been a measly three metres in comparison.

That being said, just because it looked better than the others and more frightening didn't mean anything if the war machine did nothing. So Madoras turned to the still quivering scientist beside him and looked down with cold eyes.

"The thing is impressive enough, but does it work?"

At once, the lead scientist, a portly man with a large nose and dark skin, frantically motioned to one of the apprentices. He then dove to a nearby table, crashing into it in the process and almost knocking down various items in his hurry to grab what looked like a mask. Holding the item in terrified, trembling hands he presented a mask carved from gold with a large red jewel in its forehead to his emperor. Madoras could only look down in a mixture of confusion and fury.

"What is this? How do you expect me to use a mask of all things to win a war?!"

The head scientist was pushed forward by his colleagues and stared at Madoras nervously as he wrung his hands. "Y-Your majesty," he stammered, "it is s-supposed to work as a summoning object, an ark if you will. When someone wants to call on the power of the Incorruptus, th-they need merely to speak its name."

At once Madoras became livid. "Magic?! You dare to use magic! That means that anyone could call on its power! What if one of the Athwani were to capture it you fool!?"

The dark skinned man almost fell backwards at the sound of the rage in Madoras' voice. "O-Only one person can control it, your majesty!" he frantically blurted out in an effort to save himself, "Once a contract has been made, only death with sever it."

Madoras eyed the man warily, "Alright, well let's just test out this... Incorruptus I believe you said." He turned to the scientist who was still shaking next to him. "You there, who was the fool who designed that pathetic face?"

The scientist jumped before he rose a shaking figure and pointed out a single man, the others surrounding him immediately edging away and leaving the fool alone and unprotected.

Madoras smiled. "It's nothing to be afraid about my good man, in fact you should be honoured. You will be the first to test out the knight."

It seemed that the scientist felt otherwise, as he took the golden mask from the emperor with a choked sob and his small eyes watering in fear, but did nothing.

Madoras frowned. "Well, what do you think you're doing? Summon it already!"

The so-called artist shook his head quickly as frightened tears rolled down sunken cheeks. Madoras kept his voice even but the deadly intent was obvious in his words. "Do you think to betray your emperor?"

If possible, the man shook his head even faster, but still did nothing.

"He can't your majesty!"

Madoras turned with surprise to the lead scientist who seemed even more shocked that he had spoken. When it became apparent that the emperor didn't intend to punish him, he continued. "There is no summon incantation as of yet, it still needs a name. We wanted to give your imperial majesty the honour of naming it."

Madoras narrowed his eyes, but considered. "Yes, you were wise to do so." At once he looked up at the towering golden knight and considered a moment before smiling. "Aldolmaea," he whispered.

"I-I'm sorry your majesty?"

"Aldolmaea," he spoke again, this time with power. "It shall be named Aldolmaea, and like the powerful sun god-king that shines sovereign above us, it will lead our empire to victory."

"The sun king, of course your majesty, it is a powerful name."

Ignoring the weak man, Madoras turned to one of his bodyguards, a battle-mage, who immediately leaped forward and pulled the mask out of the trembling artist's hands. Eyes closed, the mage whispered a few words of power as the red jewel in the mask began to glow a brilliant red, before fading. With that, the battle-mage turned to the now bitterly sobbing artist and pushed it back into his hands and whispered the new incantation in his ears before resuming their place behind Madoras.

"A-Aldolmaea, sh-shining sovereign, s-supreme light of the a-ancient skies, grant me your p-p-power."

The artist let out one last sob before speaking the final word, with a whimper.

"Verto."

At once, the incantation seemed to take effect, the once dark circle now swirling with bright red magic not unlike that of a sun, and both the artist and the mask vanished as the Sun King stepped forward with his his double-bladed sword in hand.

To the shock of everyone in the room, Madoras began to laugh. Yes, yes! The Athwani won't know what hit them!"

But just as quickly as the man had vanished, a sudden, piercing scream of pain and terror echoed around the room before the light in the Sun Knight's chest died just as the screams did, the golden mask falling to the floor where the artist once stood with an echoing clatter. For a few seconds, no one in the room spoke or even moved.

"What happened?!" Madoras roared. "Why did the knight stop moving?!"

"We don't know!" the lead scientist squeaked. "We don't know what happened!"

Madoras let his voice return to normal, but the seething undertone was still evident as he turned to leave the lab. "Well find out!"

"There's not enough energy!"

Slowly Madoras turned his head to stare at a woman, her grey hair tied back and though it was obvious she was terrified out of her mind to be speaking to her emperor like this, she stood tall.

"What?"

The woman took a breath and repeated herself, her skin pale underneath its light bronze coloring. "There's not enough energy your majesty. One person simply does have the energy required to use an Incorruptus. You would need someone with an infinite source, someone who does not feel terror, nor joy, nor sadness. With someone like that, they can power the knight but you can still have someone else with military training control and use it."

Madoras considered the woman carefully. "And do you have a solution of who could be an energy source?"

The woman froze for a second, as if debating whether or not to tell her emperor, looking as though she would regret her words.

"Well, do you? If you don't than you are just simply wasting my precious time and that would be a punishable offense..."

"Children!" she blurted out terrified, before continuing in a more respectful tone, "children, your majesty. Or more specifically, infants. They are too young to have spent their energy on other things and still understand nothing."

Madoras considered for a moment, before deciding to test the woman's theory. "You there," he gestured to one of the young soldiers that was posted to guard the scientist. "go and get me the child."

Shocked to have been called upon, the young guard jumped for a moment before running out of the hall. Once the soldier was gone, Madoras turned back to the woman. "Tell me, how did you figure out that more energy is needed?"

"Hilmet didn't want a woman working on a project this important," she started as the lead scientist, Hilmet, glared at her, "so he assigned me with looking after his notes. I was only supposed to be checking for errors but as the only one who got to see all of the notes, I knew how the Incorruptus worked better than anyone. I had told him that we would need a better energy core or source but he disregarded my suggestions as 'foolish'."

Madoras smiled, "I see, and if this works, I think we might be looking for a new head scientist."

The woman's seemed stunned but she dropped with her head pressed to the floor in deep respect and awe while Hilmet glared at her in rage.

Seconds later, the soldier returned dragging a pitifully sobbing woman, a small infant boy peacefully sleeping in her arms. The late Empress had sworn that this child was his, that she has laid with no other man, but Madoras had not believed her. There was no way any son of his could be born that small and sickly.

The Empress had been publicly executed later that day for daring to lay with another and attempting to usurp the throne.

At first he had thought the child worthless and had intended to abandon it, but if this worked, than while the child still wasn't his son it would at least prove itself useful and be allowed to live.

Madoras ignored the wailing woman as she clutched the child closer to her breast, begging the emperor not to hurt the poor child. "Well, how do we make it the energy source?"

The woman slowly raised herself from the floor and spoke. "I believe simply placing the ark on the child will suffice. The child is too young to speak its name so it will simply create an energy bond between them."

With no instruction, the battle-mage knelt down and grabbed the golden ark from the floor and walked towards the plump nurse-maid, who held the child even closer and tried to turn from the mage but was held too firmly in the soldier's grasp.

"Please your majesty!" she begged. "He's just a infant, he hasn't done anything!"

"You will cease this pathetic scene at once girl!" Madoras yelled at the nurse-maid, now beyond annoyed with her insistent pleas and sobbing. "You will control yourself and hand the child over or I will have one of my men cut you down!"

It seemed that she prioritized her safety over the infant's as she quickly handed the baby over to the mage, still sobbing softly. With no further interruptions evident, the battle-mage solemnly placed the mask on top of the child and Madoras watched eagerly for a bright glow or for the child to vanish from the arms of the mage.

Instead nothing happened.

Madoras turned angrily back to the female scientist only to have her point in wonder at the Sun King. Curious at what had her so amazed, he turned to see that the once dark circle had filled with the same bright, swirling red power that had appeared when the artist had first connected. Unlike the artist though, it did not fade, even after the mage removed the mask from the child and handed the still breathing infant back to the nurse-maid who clutched the child with evident relief.

Why did the child not die...

"The knight needs a continuous source of energy your majesty."

Madoras had not realized he had spoken aloud and turned to the female scientist who had answered his question, pride filling her entire body. "The only way to get that continuous source is to keep the source, in this case the infant, alive. This way as long as the child lives there will always be energy to use. Within time, the Incorruptus will be able to adjust the amount of energy needed as the child grows older, if Hilmet's notes are correct."

Madoras smiled. "Perfect. I want this tested immediately with other soldiers. If this works as well as it sounds, I want more created of the same design, I want an army of these to decimate the Athwan forces!"

With that, he turned to leave but stopped for a moment. "Oh, and congratulations on your promotion."

At this moment both armies, Yshrenian and Athwani were locked in a bitter stalemate. Blood was continuing to be spilled and neither side had gained any ground, but things were going to be changing now. This was the beginning of a new age of war, a new age for Yshrenia.

xxx-xxxxxxx-xxx

It had been five years now since the Aldolmaea had been completed, with a single knight coming out every year since: Larvayne the Dragon Knight, Luthia the Moon Maiden, Dinivas the Black Knight and finally Wizel the White Knight. While none of these knights came anywhere close to the power that Sun King commanded, but where they lacked power they made up for in speed, maneuverability, and diversity.

As the completion on each knight drew closer, Madoras had released a reward, 1,000,000 Gildarts for any family that would be willing to give up their own infant for the good of the empire. Some families had thought to greedily push any child for even a smidgen of the amount, even offering children much too old to even qualify, these families were subsequently punished with every child they had taken and put for training as soldiers. Most simply needed the money to even survive and only gave them up if the only other option was death. And even fewer spoke out about how terrible times were if the emperor required innocent infants to win a war.

The latter were silenced permanently.

Over these five years though, most infants could only last a year before dying, their soul simply running out and a replacement child was needed. As more and more children were requested, less families offered. The only one that had lasted had been the infant bonded to Aldolmaea, now five years old. None of the scientists or mages could understand just what made him so special that he could continue to age and grow while the others simply wasted away.

The new children found had come from a variety of backgrounds, one girl had been given up by a family of farmers who needed the money to survive the season. That one had been particularly annoying, they had been sobbing the entire time, dreading to sell their only child in order to live. One boy had been the second son of a family of nobles, a mistake they had called him, and had gladly given up the child for more wealth and better standing. The second girl had been the ninth child of an incredibly poor family, who had greedily counted their money and asked that if the empire would need any other children to not forget them. The final child, a boy, had been found abandoned by guards in a dirty alley.

And yet despite all the hard work and advanced war tactics, Madoras was furious to find that he still hadn't won. At first he had had the war in hand, with every new Incorruptus added more Athwani died and his borders began to stretch further and further. The only reason he hadn't won yet was because the Incorruptus used the magic ability of the wielder to fight, and once it had been completely tapped, would transform back. And then Wylde, the most talented soldier and wielder of the White Knight, had gone rouge and switched himself to the weaker side, turning on his own country. It didn't matter that Yshrenia had the physical armour, the moment the contract was activated and the knight called, it would immediately go to where ever the wielder was and fight.

It seemed that even the loss of Wylde was of no consequence though, they were now on the steps of Athwan, and were fighting a battle outside one of the various Athwani temples. Madoras watched from the distance, not too far from the battle itself, eager to witness his troops finally enter Athwani lands. Not far from his side were all five children, the energy that kept his greatest weapons functioning. It had been discovered shortly after the eldest boy, Madoras saw no reason to remember the whelps name, had been bonded that they were required to be within a certain distance of the knight for it to continue working.

The only reason that Madoras had yet to kill the energy source for the White Knight was that he wanted it's ark back in his own hands, and the best way to have that was to capture Wylde and kill him himself.

So far the battle was at a stalemate, it had been going for hours at this point and both sides were tired, but this was about to change. He knew that in just a few moments, all the wielders would activate their Incorruptus at once for the final push that was sure to decimate every single one of the Athwani forces. And when his were activated, that meant that Wylde would be forced to do the same in order to fight back. Not only would this win the battle, but he would get back what was rightfully his, the ark of the White Knight.

When the bright columns of light appeared that announced the arrival of the Incorrupti, Madoras couldn't help but smile in glee, knowing that he had finally won this silly little war. He watched as his beautiful weapons completely decimated everything in their path, the White Knight trying pathetically to hold them off. And then it happened, all of the children began to cry, deep agonizing wails that set his teeth on edge.

He turned to the numerous women who stood by stunned. "Shut them up at once, or else!"

Before any of the women could respond or do anything, it became apparent what was happening. A bright light came from the edge of the Athwan forces, getting bigger and closer until it stopped in front of the now immobile knights. Even at his distance from the battlefield, Madoras could see exactly what was going on. A circle of the most powerful mages in Athwan, the Council of Mages, had begun to chant and in the middle of the circle was the one person that sent Madoras' blood boiling in rage: Queen Murias herself.

"What do you think you're doing?! Shoot them! Shoot them now!"

At his words, every archer still alive and able began to shoot their arrows at the mages, but could only watch as they bounced harmlessly off the shield of light that surrounded them.

Madoras couldn't believe it, he had been so close! He had been winning and now his greatest weapon was being sealed before his eyes. The only consolation was that a spell of this magnitude would kill almost every single one of the people inside the circle of magic, but it meant nothing. His forces were gone now, and he would be forced to retreat back to the safety of his palace. He had lost this war.

Angrily he turned to flee but stopped at the sight of the children, they had all stopped screaming. In fact, they had stopped breathing entirely, having been sealed with his knights and frozen in time. At this he smiled, just because he had lost the battle, didn't mean he had lost the war.

He remembered a spell, an ancient and forbidden spell that had been passed down through the imperial family, that would allow him to cast away his physical body and bound his soul to another. He would need to find the spell itself, hidden away safely in his palace at Vellgander, but he would seal his soul to the armour of the White Knight. He knew that someone would one day try to use the immense powers of the knights, and with the ark of the White Knight being the only one in Athwani hands, it was sure to be used again.

And once that happened, he would simply take over the poor soul who tried to use it.

This may have been the end, but it was simply the end of the beginning. Soon he would have a new beginning, and this time, Murias wouldn't be around to stop him.


	3. Constellations

Yulie had always wondered why she had found the night sky so comforting and yet so lonely. Song: Reflecting

* * *

Ever since she had been a child, Yulie had always loved the night sky. Her favourite memories were the ones where her parents would let her stay up late and tell her the stories that had been left in the stars to be remembered, show her the pictures that an artist had painted with the stars open sky as their ink and canvas. On those nights Yulie's parents would laugh and tell her that her pretty blue eyes sparkled almost as brilliantly as the twinkling sparks of light above.

They would show her the constellation of the Jackal, forever chasing the Kibble that tricked it out of its tail, point out the shape of the great Wyvern that guarded that western skies from the terrible Troll that ruled the east, tell her the story of the powerful magacian from ages past that had been so distraught at the death of their lover that they had cast their images into night sky to be forever remembered as the Lovers. Of the Maiden of the Moon, who diligently watched over the night sky and guarded the world below. Of her bow made of moonlight and her arrows the stars themselves. They told her that every time she was lucky enough to see a shooting star that it was the maiden protecting all those that dwelled under her watch, both on the earth and in the skies itself, from yet another fierce invader that desired her domain. That she always shot true and never, ever missed her mark.

That had always been her favourite story.

Her parents had been only too proud to stand back and watch Yulie's love and admiration of the night sky foster and grow. Witnessed as by the age of seven she knew all the stories by heart and by eight could point out each and every constellation in an instant, memorized each faze of the moon. At the age of nine she had built her own redimentary telescope out of the lens of her Papi's old glasses and bits of dried grass and bark, all to try and find the people and beasts that she was told dwelled in the stars and the moon.

It was ultimately this interest that saved Yulie's life that very same year.

* * *

Deciding that she couldn't wait to try out her new telescope, Yulie had snuck out her house late one summer evening when the moon had been at its brightest and fullest. Excited to bring proof to her parents that their stories were real, that beings really did live in the constellations like they had always told her, she set out to catch sight of them. She told no one of her plans, wanting it to be a surprise, and ran to the one place she knew that would offer the best view of the night sky, a tall hill was located in the wood that lay just south of the eastern entrance to Parma.

Yulie had spent the first few minutes disappointed that her makeshift telescope had failed to work at all, but became quickly excited that while it hadn't made the stars any closer what it had done was made them shine and sparkle all the more brilliantly. So fascinated in trying out her new new invention that she had named "star sparkler" that not only had Yulie forgotten the entire reason she had even come out alone in the first place, but had failed to notice the thick, black cloud inching its way across the sky until the entire area had been cloaked in darkness.

All at once Yulie had realized that without the light of the moon, she couldn't see more than her arm's length away. Terrified, she ran into what she assumed was the direction of the village only to become terribly, terribly lost as she stumbled blindly through the now black wood, screaming for her parents inbetween sobs of terror. The star sparkler clutched tightly to her chest in shaking arms.

Eventually, she managed to stumble and fall into what she thought had been the hollow of a tree and curled up tightly into a ball, sobbing weakly until Yulie had finally managed to fall asleep, never releasing her death grip on the wooden tube.

Only to be woken the next morning by a rustle not far above her to her left and let out a scream, which had been answered by another yet another scream, this one of shock. A few seconds later a young boy stood on the slope above her, still in the process of pulling up his pants around his waist, and after staring a each other in shock for a few moments, suddenly gave a wide smile to reveal that one of his front teeth had fallen out.

"Hi!" the red-haired boy had greeted cheerfully, a hint of a lisp on his tongue, "my name's Leonard, what's yours?"

Yulie had managed to stutter out her own name in reply, still scared out of her mind and a little surprised at the over-friendliness of the boy.

"Why were you sleeping in a vespid nest? Are you lost? Are you from Parma, cause that's where me and Rapacci are gunno go!"

Yulie had only managed to nod in response before the boy came sliding down the slope to grab her arm and pull her to her feet and then almost drag her along behind him. "Well come on then!"

Leonard continued to chatter the entire way there; asking how old she was, did she have a pet, why was she in the woods, what was that weird woody thing she was holding, but never gave Yulie the chance to answer, but that had been fine with her. She was too relieved that the darkness had gone away to answer any of them. Soon they had left the wood at its northern most point, Yulie had been more lost than she thought, and was greeted with the sight of a large Warg sitting at the head of a wagon loaded with large barrels and being pulled by a single beast-wain.

It hadn't taken long for the Warg, Rapacci as she would learn, to figure out what was going on and soon they had been off back to Parma. The moment she had arrived home Yulie had not been greeted by the sight her worried Mama and Papa like she would have thought, but the image of half her village reduced to blackened hucks of its former self burning itself into her mind.

It wouldn't be until many years later, the sight of the main road in Balandor engulphed in flames from a Pyrodemus, that Yulie would realize the black clouds that had blocked out the night sky had been from Parma burning to the ground.

Within seconds of entering her village, she heard a sudden screech and then a woman was shouting her name as she pulled Yulie from the cart and into her arms, before pushing her away and frantically patting at her face and hair, as if she couldn't believe that it was really Yulie in her arms. Yulie though had kept trying to escape the woman's iron grip as she pleaded for her Mama while the woman had begun to cry, apoligizing to the young girl as she held Yulie close again, brushing her hand through her purple hair.

* * *

The following months passed in a haze of numbness. The only clear memories being the sight of what had once been her house was now nothing more than a pile of charred wood and ash and the realization that her Mama, Papa, and Papi had died and left her all alone. From that point on she was simply passed from family to family in Parma, the entire village taking turns to make sure that Yulie was fed and clothed and always had a bed to sleep in and a candle to sleep with, else she woke screaming and refused to calm down and sleep until a candle had been lit to chase away the darkness, always clutching at her wooden star sparkler, the only piece of her old home Yulie had left. This would go on for the next few years as everyone cared for her, always reminding her how lucky she was to be alive, no matter how unlucky she always felt.

The only thing Yulie had begun to look forward to was the times spent playing with Leonard when he visited, the only child and person who didn't walk on eggshells around her and treat her like a porclean doll. She would sit by and watch as Leonard would wave a stick around, claiming it to be a mighty sword, and smack what ever was nearby. He was always telling her that he wasn't meant to be a simple wine delivery boy, but was destined to be a great knight and protect the Princess Cisna from whatever wanted to hurt her. That he had seen her once and knew that someone as pretty as the princess needed someone to protect her. He would then give a great war cry and jump one of the large barrels nearby that was waiting to be loaded onto the cart and fight it in a duel to the death.

At least until Rapacci came along and cuffed the boy on the back of the head for messing with the wine and to "stop showing off and get back to work dammit!".

It was one of these times when they were both eleven that Leonard had asked exactly what the wooden-thingy she was always holding was.

"It's a star sparkler." Yulie had responded simply.

Leonard had grimaced at her answer as he took a couple of pratice swings with his stick on a nearby barrel. "I still think it's a sword."

"It's not a sword!"

Leonard had actually flinched, most likely in memory of the time he had actually tried using it as a sword that Yulie had actually screamed at him and hit him, and then continued to hit him to the point that Rapacci had had to pull them apart. Leonard had ended up with a black eye and Yulie had refused to speak to him again for nearly a month.

Yulie had sighed in exasperation at the cluelessness of her best friend. "A star sparkler is a kind of telescope that instead of making the stars bigger it makes them sparkle more."

"So?"

Yulie had actually balked and stared at Leonard in amazement. "What do you mean 'so'?!"

Leonard shrugged. "What so exciting about that? I mean, what's so exciting about dumb stars anyways?"

"The stars aren't stupid, you're stupid Leonard!"

Yulie hit Leonard in the head with her fist before stomping away with her head held high in the air and her star sparkler clutched protectively to her chest, blinking her eyes rapidly. As she had walked home, her steps purposeful, she had heard Leonard call her name repeatidly until he finally ran next to her and stopped infront, putting his hands on her shoulders to stop her before she plowed through him.

"I'm sorry Yulie."

Yulie refused to look at red-haired boy, tears still prickling at the cornor of her eyes.

"I'm really, really sorry Yulie. I shouldn't have said that about the stars, or your star spangler thingy."

"A star sparkler," Yulie had clarified, it didn't matter that she had talked to him, she was still angry at him and refused to look at him.

"Yeah that, I mean I still think the stars are dumb, but if you like them, that makes them kinda cool I guess."

Yulie turned to stare at the clearly embarressed Leonard, her chest now suddenly warm, something that had never happened before.

"Would you like to see them?"

"Huh?"

Yulie sighed, Leonard could be such a stupid boy sometimes. "The stars, would you like to see them?"

"But I see them every night."

Another sigh. A very, very stupid boy sometimes. " I mean with me stupid."

"Oh," Leonard shrugged, "sure, I guess, one day. I mean I only ever see you during the day and me and Rapacci always leave before nightfall so we can make it back to Balandor before it gets too dark."

Yulie had just nodded in acceptance. "Okay, but you promised me so no backing out later!"

Leonard had raised his arms, his hands leaving his place on her shoulders, and placed them in front of his face, as though to ward off any stray punches. "Alright, alright I promise!" he said before running past her back to Rapacci and the cart, yelling over his shoulder back at Yulie that he had better finish getting the cart set up before they left.

Watching Leonard leave, Yulie had been struck by two realizations: one that her shoulders now felt oddly cold and her chest unbelievably warm, and the second that today had been the first time she had even thought about the stars since her parents death.

* * *

It would take another three weeks to work up the courage to even go outside the safety of her candlelit room and into the darkness outside. It had been one she had been putting off since her promise to Leonard, always deciding that it was too dark or too cold out, or that she was really tired so she didn't have the energy to do it. Despite her parent's death though, she still knew the phases of the moon so she knew that there was no possible way to avoid going out tonight. The moon would be full and bright with no clouds and the night air still warm with summer. So taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she walked out the door of the house with the candle in her right hand shaking and her star sparkler clutched protectively to her chest to ward off any shadows that might try and harm her.

Only to gasp at the sight of the night sky, the moon was huge, larger than she remembered seeing it before and the stars sparkling brighter than ever before, as though re-greeting their lost friend. Yulie saw the twisted form of the Snake as it slithered through the stars, the regal stance of the Soldier as it fought the menacing Bear. Found the Treant in its place in the northern sky and its friend Cerberus down in the south, recalled the tale of the Lizard and the Basilisk that raised it to become the mighty Dragon that soared proudly over both constellations.

So lost in thought and memories, Yulie had been shocked to find that her cheeks were wet with her tears. And realized that while it was the dark that kept her from going outside each evening, she had also been scared to find out if she had forgotten them. Forgotten the stories that her parents had once told her the nights they gazed out at the star filled sky, or worse. Had been terrified to discover that now she might hate the stars, hate the stories, hate the pictures, and hate the moon.

Taking on last glance at the moon, so bright and noble and regal, she whispered goodnight to the Maiden and after carefully placing her candle on the bedside table, fell asleep with dreams of that her parents and Papi now stood guard with the Maiden of the Moon, and protected her as she slept.

She would now spend every evening looking out of the window of the rooms she would sleep in, candle and star sparkler never too far from her side. After gazing out at the stars and the images they contained, would say goodnight to every constellation she could see from her spot at the window, and always to moon last, thanking the Maiden and her family for protecting her from up on the moon before crawling to her bed and sleeping.

* * *

Three years later, when Leonard had turned fourteen, he had proudly shown her his gift from Rapacci. It had been a short-sword, the metal used and marked with countless battles and the hilt chipped and worn, but it was his.

"Rapacci said now I'm old enough to help protect the cart from monsters that want to steal the wine! I'm still only allowed to fight some of the kibbles and polkans for now, but soon I'll get good enough to fight the vespids, and even the trolls and treants, so that the knights at the castle will notice me and have to train me!"

Yulie had listened a little sadly, all he ever talked about was the princess and becoming a knight, before shoving the wrapped gift she had hidden behind her back into his chest. The oblong object had been messily wrapped with spare pieces of paper that she had found laying around and tied off with a long piece of twine. Leonard stared confused at the object suddenly shoved in his chest.

"Happy birthday!" Yulie had all but shouted, her face bright pink with embarressment.

A bright grin overtook his face as he carefully placed the sword in the plain sheath tied around his waist, before grabbing the wrapped gift in his eager arms. "Really? Thanks Yulie!" With child-like excitement he began to tear into the wrapping, ripping the paper to shreds to get at the gift inside. Within seconds, the paper and twine lay in a messy heap at his feet, and he stared in confusion at the object in his hands. The object in question was a long tube, about the length of his arm, and wrapped entirely in the bark from a sturdy branch, tied on in place using dyed pieces of a shriveled vine. At either end was the clear lens from a pair of spectacles.

"What is it?"

Yulie smacked Leonard on the top of his head with her fist. "It's a star sparkler idiot! See, it looks just like mine!"

While it was true that both items were virtually similar in appearance, the small differences were obvious. Yulie's bark and grass had become cracked with age and had been sloppily built with the hands of a nine year old. Leonard's on the other hand was new and well-built, or as well-built as an untrained fourteen year old could manage. The vine had been continously dyed and redyed to get the shade of blue she had wanted and Yulie couldn't remember how many times she had polished the bark and glass lens until they were shiny enough that she had been sort of pleased with the result.

It had taken her months to build it and another week to finally work up the courage to wrap it and give it to him.

"Why?"

Yulie had felt her heart crack as the confusion in his voice only grew. "What do you mean why? I gave you one so you'd have your own when I finally show you the stars this year!" It was a lie of course, she had really given it to him so he would have something that reminded him of her, just like Yulie had hers to remind her of her parents and Papi.

"Oh."

Yulie didn't think it was possible for her heart to break any more.

"I mean it's pretty cool and all," Leonard had hurridly added at seeing the devestated look on her face, "I just kinda thought that we would use yours."

Yulie felt her face pinkin in embaressment and shock as her shattered heart melted and reformed again. "Oh," she repeated quietly.

There was an awkward silence between the two before Leonard spoke up again, "What makes you think that it's gonna happen this year?"

"I figured that if you had a sword now, I could join you when you and Rapacci left to deliver the wine and then I could show you the stars in Balandor."

"No," Leonard stated firmly.

"What do you mean no?!" Yulie had shouted, extremely hurt that he hadn't even considered the idea.

"I mean no."

"Why?!"

"Cause you could get hurt!"

Yulie had stopped shouting at that point, her heart banging hopefully against her chest as she quietly stammered, "but you'd be there to protect me, wouldnt you?"

"Lots of things could happen, what if, what it, what if a troll got through and attacked the cart, and I was to far away to help you?"

"A troll?" Yulie had laughed loudly at that. "I don't think a troll's gonna attack a wine cart."

"It could happen!"

Yulie shrugged. "I've got my daggers remember? I can defend myself if something happened."

"Against a kibble sure, but not against a troll!"

Yulie crossed her arms across her chest, the star sparkler situated between her breasts. "So what, you're saying that your refusing to let me come because if a troll for some reason decides to attack I can't defend myself?"

"Exactly!" Leonard had nodded eagerly.

"Arrrgh! You're such a, such a stupid boy!" Yulie had shouted at Leonard as she hit him before stomping away, watching him rub the side of his head where she had hit him.

"Wait, Yulie! What did I say? Yulie!"

That evening, as she stared out of the window at the stars above, she smiled when she saw a star come shooting across the night sky and the next morning went to Gudurn and demanded that he teach her the bow. Two months later, she smirked at the sight of Leonard's shocked face as she calmly and skillfully shot down a vespid that had been flying just outside of Parma in one shot.

* * *

"I still don't see what's so great about the stars Yulie."

Yulie sighed as the two of them sat on the roof of Rapacci Wines. Both her and Leonard were now sixteen and despite two years of trying to show him just what she saw in the sparks of light above, Leonard just refused to understand it. She had tried everything, showing him the way the moonlight hit the streets below, the different pictures painted in the stars, the stories that were forever engraved in the skies above, even told him about the Maiden of the Moon, but nothing had worked.

She had been employed at Rapacci Wines for a little over a year now, working mainly as an escort from when they picked the wine up from Parma, and had used the money to buy her own place. It had been a small, two floor house built not long after the fire nearly seven years ago, and the entire village had thrown a welcoming party. By the time everyone had left their gifts behind, she hadn't had to buy a single piece of furniture and her pantry had been stocked full of all kinds of assorted veggies and smoked meats. Leonard had given her a pair of earrings made of brass, despite the fact that she didn't wear earrings, grumbling under his breath that he had wanted to buy her a new bow but Rapacci had insisted.

She still had the earrings in a chest in her room.

By now Leonard had started to wear his hair long despite Rapacci's grumbles of how shabby both it and Leonard looked, and at Yulie's insistence began to tie it back. Yulie on the otherhand had cut her to be just above her chin. She had first cut it after an escapade with a stray spark in the Rapacci Wines wine cellar had burned a chunk of her hair off. And after Leonard had mentioned that the length suited her had kept it short since.

"Okay, let's try again."

Leonard groaned in frustration. "What's the point Yulie? They're just stars."

Yulie ignored him as she pointed to a cluster of stars just below the half moon. "Do you see that group of stars up there, the one's up above the castle but just below the moon?"

"Yeah but..."

"It's called the Knight and it's part of a group of four constellations and the moon known as the Guard, the other three are-"

"The Dragoon, the King, and the Deserter, once known as the White Knight..."

"Bright Knight, Leonard."

"White, Bright, whatever," Leonard sighed. "I know all this Yulie, you've told it to me hundreds of times before, so what?"

"Do you see the Knight, pointing his sword at his enemies in the south?"

"Of course not Yulie, all I see is a bunch of stars, that's all I ever see! I've seen what a real knight looks like and that looks nothing like one!"

Yulie closed her eyes and slowly counted to ten, trying to convince herself not to brain her crush with the candlestick they had brought with them, more for Yulie's sake than anything else.

"Do you know the story of the constellation? Why they're called that and placed where they are?"

Leonard frowned. "Well yeah, of course, you said that the Knight is there to protect the moon from the stars in the south while the King watches for the day in the east and the Dragoon guards the north. That the Deserter was once in charge of the west but deserted for some reason or other. It's just a stupid story though."

"That's it? That's all you've gotten from me telling you 'hundreds of times before'?"

"Well yeah, what else is there?"

"Everything! First of all, why do you think it is that they have to guard the moon in the first place?"

Leonard frowned as he thought back but shrugged. "I dunno, something about her being a maiden or something."

Yulie actually did hit Leonard here, just not with the candlestick so she considered it a victory in self-restraint.

"The Maiden of the Moon does not need to be protected like, like some common princess!" Yulie hissed. "She is one of their greatest members! While not the most agile like the Dragoon, or the most powerful like the King, or have the either of the Knight's skills, she is their protecter. Taking out their enemies before they can get too close by the dozens, she is the reason that any of them are still alive!"

"Okay, okay already, I get it. Sorry." Leonard grumbled while he rubbed gingerly at his now hurt shoulder

"Good. Now then, the story goes that once the five of them had been the most feared forces in the sky. The King the first to fight and the last to retreat in any battle, this is why his are the first stars you see at night and the last ones you see before the day, the most powerful of the group. It was he who was the first among them, and so was named their general.

"The second one to come was the Bright Knight, and with his glowing armor was a proud figure on the battlefield. He was filled with courage and determination which is why his stars are among some of the brightest in the night sky, always making his presense known to his enemies around him.

"Next was the Dragoon. The Dragoon had been granted wings like a dragon and would rain down terror on their enemies below with his spear of judgement. Thats why his constellation is the largest of the Guard, his wings spread around him and his spear pointing towards the north.

"Fourth was the Knight, or Dark Knight as he was once known before the Bright Knight deserted them, and like the Dragoon before had been granted wings, these ones wings like that of a bird of prey. The Knight had worn armor cloaked in the dark of night itself and was the most invisible of the four, the reason that you can only find his stars if its a clear night like this one. The only reason anyone knew of his presence in battle was thanks to the feathers that would always fall from his wings, why even when you can't see his stars, you always know where they are thanks to the scattered stars that always surround its empty space.

"Finally, the last one was the Maiden. While she never dealt in close combat like the others, she was the one that they relied on most. With her quiver of full stars and her bow of moonlight, she shot down their enemies before they could come close. She quickly became a beacon of victory and light to her tired comrades and helped to guide them. Are you getting any of this Leonard?"

Leonard, now on his back, made a motion with his hand to continue, so with a sigh Yulie did, but not before joining him.

"Together, the five of them made what is now known as the Guard, guarding the east from the fueding forces in the west. With them at the frontlines, they were the ones to tip the war to their favour. Victory seemed assured and close at hand, until the Bright Knight betrayed them.

"Everyone of the Guard was shocked and crushed when they heard this, the Bright Knight had been a true friend and comrade, so none knew why he would just abandon them like that, and in order to conceal this pain renamed him to be known as the Deserter, making the Dark Knight now the lone Knight. But while everyone was hurt at this betrayal, none hurt more than the Maiden. She had truly and deeply loved the Bright Knight, and had been so devastated at his betrayal, that she had begun to build a protective barrier around her so that none could ever hurt the Maiden again. In time, the barrier began to solidify until she became immortalized as the moon, and decided to use the light reflected down to us so that she could help bring light to the world below and help guide us home when we are lost.

"Within time, her name changed to signify this, becoming not just the Maiden, but the heavenly Maiden of the Moon."

Her tale done, Yulie turned her head look at her best friend, only to see his eye's closed and chest rising and falling slowly in sleep. Angry and hurt that he would just fall asleep on her like that, she had decided to leave him there to sleep with the roof tiles of the wine shop digging uncomfortably into his back. She had decided against it though when she realized not seconds later that no matter how much he upset her, that Leonard would probably manage to roll off the roof in his sleep, and fall to the cobblestones below.

Yulie was still angry though and decided that just because she had better wake him up, didn't mean she had to be gentle about it, and a sharp kick to the ribs seemed like the best way to wake Leonard.

"Why?"

Despite the soft tone of voice, Yulie almost fell off the roof instead at the unexpected voice of Leonard.

"Why what?" she had answered back just as softly.

"Why did he betray them? He was their friend and comrade wasn't he?"

Yulie took a minute to respond, staring at the moon and the bright constellation twinkling to the west.

"No one really knows. There are different stories depending on who you ask. Some say that the Bright Knight left because of an argument with the other four, others that he had simply been bought out of his loyalty. I even knew a travelling merchant who believed that it was the other way around, that the others had deserted him and he alone stayed to fight."

Leonard sat up and turned his now open eyes to his best friend, "Which one do you believe Yulie?"

Yulie took a moment to respond, the candle growing heavy in her hand at the wieght of her memories.

"None of them actually," Yulie had never told anyone this before, it had always been a treasured, private memories of her parents, scared that telling it would dilute it or make it less precious, "my parents liked to believe that the Bright Knight had fallen in love with the queen of the eastern forces and had abandoned the others for her alone."

Leonard seemed to think about it for a second, before declaring that that was stupid. He had seemed to realize what he was saying was cruel though, frantically back tracking at the crushed look on her face and fearing for his life tried a different approach.

"I mean, that just makes the White Knight ignore the feelings that the Moon Maiden had for him," Leonard ignored Yulie interrupting him about the misnames and continued, "and that would be cruel to both of them. What if the queen had actually bewitched him to her side and he was doing all of this unknowingly."

Yulie seemed to think on this for a long moment before responding "And the reason that the Maiden turned into the moon was to make herself a bright beacon of light to try and call him back to the others, back to her."

Leonard agreed with a nod, relieved that he wasn't going to be murdered by being pushed off a roof tonight.

Yulie looked to the moon and then back at Leonard with a soft smile, "You know, I think I like your story better."

Without another word, the two teens gathered their things and left the roof through the trap door behind them, but not before witnessing a single shooting star falling through the constellation of the Deserter, the Bright Knight, before vanishing.

* * *

Honestly, Yulie had still been in shock. It had been only three days since the sight of Balandor Castle and the town in flames, but she still didn't know what to think. A simple wine delivery to the castle had turned into a full fledged rescue attempt for the Princess Cisna and now here she was camping out at the edge of the Lagnish Desert. She had never been this far from Parma in her entire life, she had rarely even traveled out the Greydall Plains, much less the abandoned mining tunnels of the Nordia Tunnels.

The tunnels had been the worst part, not only had they been completely dark with only the stray forgotten mineral casting light, but the entire trip through it had taken them all day. Yulie had been relieved with the beginner magic lesson from Eldore the previous evening, even with the torches around her she never let the small fireball vanish from her hands. The only even vaguely good thing about it had been that Leonard had refused to leave her side, his hand on her shoulder as he lent some strength.

Leonard was honestly the only reason she was journeying with them in the first place. Yulie couldn't have given a single care as to what would happen to the princess but Leonard had just literally jumped at the call, pledging himself to the cause. The worst part had been how excited and angry he had been, angry that someone would dare kidnap Princess Cisna and excited that this was his chance to not only rescue her, but to actually leave his job at the winery, to explore, to have an adventure.

So Yulie now sat near the small fire, staring up at the night sky above her as she still tried to process the fight that had happened only mere hours before. The black armoured general had appeared before them, and Leonard had been so angry. She had never seen him so furious before, not even when they had been fourteen and one of the older children at Parma had made fun of him and his used sword. Leonard had rushed into battle, eager to fight the man that had killed their king and kidnapped their princess, only for Dragius to draw a black sword far too big to fight with from a winged sheath with a chant. Leonard had only paused for a moment at the sight of the now towering black knight before pulling his own dagger and gauntlet ark out and with a cry of 'Wizel!' engaged in battle with the other Incorruptus.

The fight itself hadn't lasted very long but had been terrifying to watch. The cave walls shook as they fought, crushing small boulders into dust beneath their armoured feet. Yulie had tried to help, shooting off arrows that simply bounced off harmlessly against the thick black armour. Eldore had simply watched behind her at shock of the two behemoth knights fighting, unable to cast any magic or spells in case it would have caused the tunnels to collapse on everyone there.

Leonard's White Knight had managed to overpower the Black Knight eventually, his smaller sword granting him more manueverabiliy in the small cave, but before he could deal the finishing blow, the Black Knight stepped backwards and with a whirlwind of feathers, flew off through the opening at the top of the cave.

_...granted wings like a bird of prey...glowing armour a proud figure..._

Yulie had been stuck on this thought since night had fallen, thinking back on the stories her parents had told her as a child. With the appearance of the White Knight she hadn't thought anything of it, just some ancient weapon to help them fight against the Magi forces, but with the addition of the Black Knight now she wasn't so sure.

Eldore sat not to far from her, thinking just as deeply as her as he nursed a hot cup of ale.

"Hey Eldore..."

A deep noise from inside his throat gave her enough to continue with her thought.

"Do you, do you know anything about the stars? Any of their tales, stories, their constellations, anything?"

Eldore looked at from the side, before placing his cup down with a sigh. "No. Why do you ask?"

Yulie shifted uncomfortably in her spot at the fire before continuing. "It's nothing, but well..."

"Go on," Eldore said not unkindly.

"When I was a little girl, my parents told me stories about the stars. One of those stories was about the Guard, a group of four constellations and the moon."

From there Yulie explained the story, of the five knights who protected the east from the forces in the west, how each of them had been so different from the others but no less important, of the betrayal of the Deserter, of the heartbreak of the Maiden and how she became the moon. Eldore just listened silently through all of it.

"I'm just wondering, if all it really was, was a simple story."

Eldore thought for a moment, before he began to look up at the moon with Yulie, his face hard.

"Stories have to come from somewhere. Some are just just to explain events in nature..."

"Like the Kibble who stole the Jackal's tail, to explain why they don't have tails."

Eldore nodded. "Exactly. Others though come from past events, and cast their images in the stars so that they and their descendants would never forget. And yet there are still others who see a pattern in the sky and make up a story to go along with it."

Yulie took all this in silently, nodding along with the explanation. "There's no way to know which is which is there? I mean it could all be a coincidence, all I'm doing is attaching couple of lines that could fit with the story." Yulie didn't want there to be other Knights, just as powerful and terrifying as the White and Black Knights.

But she also didn't want to be wrong about all this.

Yet Eldore continued to gaze at the moon and it four surrounding constellation curiously, unaware that Yulie had left to follow Leonard who had started to sneak off, and with the reverant and wistful voice of an old man sinking deep into memories spoke to the night sky.

"Yes, just a coincidence."

* * *

Yulie had long known that it wasn't just a coincidence by now. So much had happened a year ago, she had traveled so much of the continent that she didn't think that there was a village she hadn't visited. Flown over the wide chasms of Frass holding onto nothing but the long stalk of a dandelion. Explored the underlying tunnels of the Van Haven Wastelands and the abandoned village that lied beyond it. Wandered through the decaying halls of an ancient palace. Visited the capital of the country her own kingdom had been at war with for longer than she could remember. Made friends with the new Archduchess of said country and had their own stars and stories explained to her.

Heard the screams of Kara as the Magi mercilessly killed her sister infront of them. Watched as with a mother dragon's last breath she gave her ark and armour to the Lord of Greede while she laid there dying. Could only stare in shock as Kara coldly abandoned them to the Magi forces she had been allied with all along. Watched terrified as Grazel stabbed Cisna through her stomach when she refused to completely break the seal on the Sun King. Fought the terrifying Black Usurper only to let Shapur flee with the Black Knight's ark.

Could only watch heartbroken as Caesar cradled Kara's dying body in his arms begging her to hold on before being forced to leave her body behind in the collapsing palace. Hurt as Leonard never realized how Yulie felt about him and was forced to watch him fall even deeper in love with the Cisna, as the princess loved him back just as deeply.

Throughout all of this, Yulie's star sparkler traveled with her, buried in her rucksack as the one thing that helped to remind her of home and simpler times.

Now Yulie stood in front of the armour of the Maiden of the Moon, of the Moon Maiden. She had seen it sealed inside the sap of Father Yggdra back in Faria but this was so much different. Now Yulie could see the light blue armour that covered the truly female knight. Long silver hair trailed from behind her to rest on a light blue cape. Yulie's friends lay grievously injured after their battle with Efreet and now Maiden was promising to lend Yulie her aid, after swearing to stay out of the war.

She spoke of what dangerous and terrible power it was to control a Knight, how it could break and shatter even the strongest heart if used wrongly. Said that to control her armour, Yulie must be ready to put her friends and others first and foremost, before thinking of herself. Did she agree to this?

Without a single moments hesitations, Yulie nodded, firmly and bravely. Anything to save her Leonard and her friends.

"Yes."

It was instantious, the knowledge to use the ark, the memory of it's abilites and movements, it all filled her. Yulie felt complete, as though she had discovered the one thing that had been missing from her life all this time.

Without fear, Yulie stood in front of Efreet, the guardian of the ark and spoke the words that she felt she had always known.

"O' Luthia, argent goddess and beacon in the ancient night, grant me your power."

Drawing the bow that was the Moon Maiden's ark, she stared into the face of the moon that had watched over her ever since she had been a small child. And with a smile, she shot an arrow towards the moon, thanking her parents for their stories.

"Verto!"

* * *

**I liiiiiiive! And so does this story! No excuses for how long it took me, just laziness. I found the file on my computer a couple of days ago after sitting dormant for over a year and after reading through what I had, decided to finish it off. It clearly went on a little longer than I had first intended but I had so much fun creating some mythos to the world and adding my own headcanons. If nothing else I got to write a young Yulie and Leonard and hopefully tried to explain just why she had a crush on him. It was fun actually. I tried to portray Leonard as a boy that meant well but could be a little self-absorbed, and yet say just the right thing to remind Yulie just why she had a crush on the redhead.**

**Here's hoping I'll actually start on the next story in the line-up.**

**Love, FireflySong**

Next up: Dance


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